Correspondence from Chandler St. John to Marta Tollerup, Deccember 6, 1979

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FOREST SERVICE
Wasatch National Forest 8226 Federal Bldg., 125 So. State Salt Lake City, Utah 84138 December 6, 1979
Marta Douma Tollerup
P.O. Box 3561
Logan, Utah 84321
Dear Ms. Tollerup:
We appreciate your interest in the Logan Canyon Highway project and
commend you for wanting to be adequately informed to give realistic
input. In response to your letter we will follow the same numerical
sequence.
1. An Envirornnental Assessment Report constitutes a Forest Service
Decision Document. The decision by the Forest Service to allow
the proposed project to proceed in and through National Forest
land was made April 20, 1971, when the Environmental Assessment
Report (EAR) was approved. This approval was given subject
to, 12 "Special and Functional Considerations" listed on page
29 and 30, and 53 "Recommendations listed on page 37, 38, and
39 of that report.
The 1971 EAR was given to Utah Department of Highway officials
on May 18, 1971, in a meeting which was held to discuss the
contents of that report. That ·report was for their use in
preparing an Environmental Statement.
On October 15-18 of 1979 an Interdisciplinary Team from the
Wasatch National Forest conducted an evaluation of 3 different
alignments for improving the Logan Canyon Highway. All three
alignments were very close to the existing road alignment. The
basic difference between the three alternatives was the radius
of the curves. That evaluation was forwarded to the Utah
Department of Transportation (UDOT) on November 26, 1979, and
a copy is attached for your reference.
2. A copy of the EAR which was approved in 1971 and given to UDOT
is also enclosed. To reduce printing costs the appendix mater­ial
is not included. It can be reviewed in the Logan District
Ranger's office located at 21 West Center Street, Logan, Utah.
Phone number 752-9533.
The environmental effects were discussed in the 1971 EA, again
in our evaluation report submitted in November of 1979 and
will be discussed again by the UDOT in the Environmental
Assessment they are preparing. The significance of environ­mental
effects will vary by alternatives. , We have recognized
scenic, recreation, fisheries, and total river environment
values as being the most significant resource concerns to be
considered.
Alternatives which were considered in the 1971 EAR (page 32)
by the Forest Service are:
1. No Reconstruction.
2. Resurfacing on the existing alignment.
3. Alternate Routes.
a. Through Blacksmith Fork Canyon.
b. Strawberry-Sharen Forest Highway.
Our evaluation report prepared in November 1979 considered
three alignments within the existing Logan Canyon Highway
corridor.
The Forest Service has not requested an Environmental State­ment
to be prepared.
3. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is the lead agency,
since they are the Funding Agency. The UDOT is preparing
the EA for submission to FHWA who will make the decision on
funding. We will continue evaluation to achieve compliance
with constraints we think appropriate for the project.
4. Enclosed is a copy of the Forest Service procedures for im­plementing
the National Environmental Policy Act as publish­ed
in the Federal Register July 30, 1979.
The Forest Service method used to determine major actions
which significantly affect the quality of human environ­ment
and require an Environmental Impact Statement is the
Environmental Analysis. The significance of effects must
be considered in terms of context and intensity. A dis­cussion
of those things to be considered are contained in
Section 1951.8 of the Forest Service procedures. Those
actions requiring an EIS are outlined in Section 1952.2.
We will use the UDOT data and EA to insure compliance with
NEPA requirements.
We believe that the route through Logan Canyon needs to be
improved enough so it can safely serve the traveling public,
while maintaining the scenic, recreation, fisheries and other
ecological values. It it should be necessary, in order to
adequately safeguard these values, the Forest Service can,
for the portions of the Highway traversing National Forest
lands, insist that adequate safeguards be used and needed
adjustments made. We believe the proper care has been defined
in the above mentioned documents which are enclosed. We also
believe, in our contacts with UDOT, that proper consideration
will be given to protecting the critical resource values in
any project proposal.
Thank you again for your interest. We hope we have satisfactorily
answered your questions. If not, please let us know.
Sincerely,
CHANDLER P. ST. JOHN
Forest Supervisor

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FOREST SERVICE
Wasatch National Forest 8226 Federal Bldg., 125 So. State Salt Lake City, Utah 84138 December 6, 1979
Marta Douma Tollerup
P.O. Box 3561
Logan, Utah 84321
Dear Ms. Tollerup:
We appreciate your interest in the Logan Canyon Highway project and
commend you for wanting to be adequately informed to give realistic
input. In response to your letter we will follow the same numerical
sequence.
1. An Envirornnental Assessment Report constitutes a Forest Service
Decision Document. The decision by the Forest Service to allow
the proposed project to proceed in and through National Forest
land was made April 20, 1971, when the Environmental Assessment
Report (EAR) was approved. This approval was given subject
to, 12 "Special and Functional Considerations" listed on page
29 and 30, and 53 "Recommendations listed on page 37, 38, and
39 of that report.
The 1971 EAR was given to Utah Department of Highway officials
on May 18, 1971, in a meeting which was held to discuss the
contents of that report. That ·report was for their use in
preparing an Environmental Statement.
On October 15-18 of 1979 an Interdisciplinary Team from the
Wasatch National Forest conducted an evaluation of 3 different
alignments for improving the Logan Canyon Highway. All three
alignments were very close to the existing road alignment. The
basic difference between the three alternatives was the radius
of the curves. That evaluation was forwarded to the Utah
Department of Transportation (UDOT) on November 26, 1979, and
a copy is attached for your reference.
2. A copy of the EAR which was approved in 1971 and given to UDOT
is also enclosed. To reduce printing costs the appendix mater­ial
is not included. It can be reviewed in the Logan District
Ranger's office located at 21 West Center Street, Logan, Utah.
Phone number 752-9533.
The environmental effects were discussed in the 1971 EA, again
in our evaluation report submitted in November of 1979 and
will be discussed again by the UDOT in the Environmental
Assessment they are preparing. The significance of environ­mental
effects will vary by alternatives. , We have recognized
scenic, recreation, fisheries, and total river environment
values as being the most significant resource concerns to be
considered.
Alternatives which were considered in the 1971 EAR (page 32)
by the Forest Service are:
1. No Reconstruction.
2. Resurfacing on the existing alignment.
3. Alternate Routes.
a. Through Blacksmith Fork Canyon.
b. Strawberry-Sharen Forest Highway.
Our evaluation report prepared in November 1979 considered
three alignments within the existing Logan Canyon Highway
corridor.
The Forest Service has not requested an Environmental State­ment
to be prepared.
3. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is the lead agency,
since they are the Funding Agency. The UDOT is preparing
the EA for submission to FHWA who will make the decision on
funding. We will continue evaluation to achieve compliance
with constraints we think appropriate for the project.
4. Enclosed is a copy of the Forest Service procedures for im­plementing
the National Environmental Policy Act as publish­ed
in the Federal Register July 30, 1979.
The Forest Service method used to determine major actions
which significantly affect the quality of human environ­ment
and require an Environmental Impact Statement is the
Environmental Analysis. The significance of effects must
be considered in terms of context and intensity. A dis­cussion
of those things to be considered are contained in
Section 1951.8 of the Forest Service procedures. Those
actions requiring an EIS are outlined in Section 1952.2.
We will use the UDOT data and EA to insure compliance with
NEPA requirements.
We believe that the route through Logan Canyon needs to be
improved enough so it can safely serve the traveling public,
while maintaining the scenic, recreation, fisheries and other
ecological values. It it should be necessary, in order to
adequately safeguard these values, the Forest Service can,
for the portions of the Highway traversing National Forest
lands, insist that adequate safeguards be used and needed
adjustments made. We believe the proper care has been defined
in the above mentioned documents which are enclosed. We also
believe, in our contacts with UDOT, that proper consideration
will be given to protecting the critical resource values in
any project proposal.
Thank you again for your interest. We hope we have satisfactorily
answered your questions. If not, please let us know.
Sincerely,
CHANDLER P. ST. JOHN
Forest Supervisor